Need an MRI and EXTREMELY claustrophobic - Need advice

First of all, congratulations on making it through chemo! Waiting for appointments and results sure is annoying.

I personally do not have problems with scanning but want you to realize that the usual MRI position is lying on your stomach. That detail often comes as a surprise if it isn’t explained in advance. Having dispensed other benzodiazepines for these kinds of tests, I think Valium may be best because it is also a muscle relaxant. As you probably know, taking meds like that means you need a driver to bring you home.

With other anxiety provoking situations, I try to calm myself with deep breaths. When I can get mellow enough, closing my eyes, having the warm blanket they offer and earplugs or headphones to block the noise from the machine, I actually feel as though I might doze off. Perhaps you could visualize yourself doing that...

Peridot-

Great to hear chemo worked so well!! That’s amazing

I am the Queen of claustrophobia...and when I needed two breast MRIS I never ever thought I would get thru them.

Being placed on your belly helped me a lot and my machine had a little slit that I could see the ground through and light. The technicians were constantly talking to me... I made sure I told them how claustrophobic crazy I was. Don’t hide that.

I took both Valium and Xanax. I don’t remember the exact dosage. But Valium takes longer to kick in ... so I took one 45 minutes before I was scheduled. And then popped 2 more Xanax. This got me thru. And believe it or not.. I wasn’t even that stoned. My nurses actually told me to take the extra Xanax because I was still shaking with the one Valium and one Xanax.

Ativan will not zonk you enough if you are like me!!

Make sure you discuss this well in advance with your doctor or nurse and get the meds... they will get you thru.

Btw it was half the time they told me it was too. They knew they were dealing with a mental patient, that was me, and they moved it along quick. Ha!

If I can do this anyone can!

Good luck!!!👍

Why can't they just give a sedation in IV like they do for some other procedures, such as GI scopes? I have not had MRI, but I would insist on being put to sleep.

Peridot180- my MRI was set up with a mirror, so as I lay there I was actually looking outside, through a parking lot at some trees. And I was also able to pick what music I wanted to listen to. Both of those things helped me. You'll get through this, you've been through worse. HUGS!

The first time I did an MRI I assumed I'd have no issues. Boy was I wrong. Every time since I always do the meds, I also do this guided meditation thing in my mind. I like to go back to buildings I visited as a child and in my minds eye I go room by room “examining" the house/school/ whatever. I also have a happy place at our farm and again in my mind I watch the dogs play in the pond or I take a walk and name the types of trees along the path.It is quite relaxing. I use it to fall back asleep when I wake up at night.

Oh one more trick - I sing old hymns in my head verse by verse. Woah that’ll put me to sleep quicker than anything.

Peridot - I feel for you. I'm not particularly claustrophobic but my dad is. He had two recent MRIs - both under sedation so ask to see if you have that option. Maybe wearing one of those nighttime eye cover things (can't remember the exact term for it) would help also I will find out next week if I inherited his claustrophobia because I am scheduled for an MRI myself next week.

I did the same thing a couple of months ago that you are thinking about doing --- having a mastectomy in order to avoid the MRI. I posted so many questions on this board. My doctor gave me valium which didn't make me feel any different --- maybe they don't work on me. Anyway, they did let my friend stay in the room with me and that helped. I am so glad that I went ahead with the MRI because it allowed me to have the lumpectomy which was wonderful -- quick procedure -- home by 11:30 a.m. -- no pain, and I still have my breast. However, I will continue to have MRI's once a year because of the lumpectomy. That's not good. You might want to ask if you also will need to have regular yearly MRI's with a lumpectomy. I had ILC which is difficult to see - so maybe that's why they are requiring yearly scans for me. Good luck !

Hi peridot180, I so know that terror that you feel and I experience too with a history of panic disorder. I recently had a breast MRI and the year before a brain MRI and what was helpful to me was that the medical technicians would check in with me every so many minutes and during that time I would have self talk to myself like "you can do this, just a little longer, you are safe, this is just a test to help you, hang in there, " etc. And as my mind and thoughts traveled to scary places and I could feel the surge of panic, I would again refocus myself back to "you can do this, just a little longer, you are safe" and the technician's voice would then checkin with me and ask me how I was doing and I could take a breath or two and start the next timed series of images. I didn't need xanax, but if you're in a place where panic is overwhelming you, xanax and or ativan works wonders to get you through. I have had to take them in the past when my panic was not controllable and they both gave me the relief I needed. I hope this helps you. You will get through this with or without medication help. Just remember "you can do this, just a little longer, you are safe" and before you know it the MRI will be over. Please update us how you're doing!

I am very claustrophobic & had to have an MRI. Like others have said, cool air helped but I never would have made it through without 2 x 1mg Ativan. I took one an hour prior & the other 1/2 hour and was fine. I can get claustrophobic in a CT scanner, so I speak from experience. Good luck on Wednesday.

Peridot

A few little tips:

Try closing your eyes when you go into the machine and not opening until you come out.

They will usually give you a button in your hand to press if you want to come out. This is because you are in control!

I also found counting the clanging noises and trying to work out how many minutes I had been in the machine very helpful.

Hope these little tips help.

Alice

Hi! You can ask the tech to talk to you throughout the scan. They will say things like, this one will last 3 1/2 minutes, this one will last 5 minutes. It's really helpful and will help you keep calm. Also as previous people mentioned, close your eyes before you go in and don't open until you are out. No matter how much you want to. That really helps. You'll do great!!!

I had one once. I’m very claustrophobic too. It was okay at first because the techs were talking to me and then they stopped. I nearly lost my mind. I let them know it too. I wish I had known about keeping your eyes closed. That would have helped plus I didn’t take any meds to relax me. Wish I had.

Diane